Democratic Blog

This week President Obama released a proclamation celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Department of Agriculture. He wrote:

The USDA has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the American people for generations. During the Great Depression, the Department helped bring an end to the Dust Bowl by promoting soil conservation. Through two World Wars, the Victory Garden Program fed troops and families around the world. The USDA worked to bring electric power to rural communities, establish the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance and School Lunch Programs, implement our nation's food safety regulations, and protect our forests and private lands. For one-and-a-half centuries, USDA has empowered communities across our country and helped ensure we leave our children a future rich with promise and possibility.

Read the entire proclamation here.

News broke this morning that Joe Ricketts, the billionaire founder of TD Ameritrade, is working on a $10 million plan to tear down the President this fall through a hate-filled, divisive "sneak attack."

The 54-page blueprint, called "The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama: The Ricketts Plan," is posted at the New York Times site—and it is worth a read to see exactly what we're up against. Arguing that the President's former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, "has never been properly exploited," they're primed to exploit away—to do "what John McCain wouldn't let us do." Their millions would go toward TV ads, a radio campaign, newspaper ads, and huge aerial banners to be flown over September's Democratic National Convention.

They did get one thing right: The Republican nominee this time, Mitt Romney, is no John McCain. Where McCain denounced similarly despicable smears against Obama, Romney dodged a question on the story this morning with the pitiful excuse that he hadn't "read the papers yet."

What a leader.

If Romney can't summon the courage to stand up to hateful attacks by super PACs, he isn't fit to lead our country. Send a strong message to Romney and his allies that these shameful tactics won't be tolerated by the voters.

News broke this morning that Joe Ricketts, the billionaire founder of TD Ameritrade, is working on a $10 million plan to tear down the President this fall through a hate-filled, divisive "sneak attack."

The 54-page blueprint, called "The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama: The Ricketts Plan," is posted at the New York Times site—and it is worth a read to see exactly what we're up against. Arguing that the President's former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, "has never been properly exploited," they're primed to exploit away—to do "what John McCain wouldn't let us do." Their millions would go toward TV ads, a radio campaign, newspaper ads, and huge aerial banners to be flown over September's Democratic National Convention.

They did get one thing right: The Republican nominee this time, Mitt Romney, is no John McCain. Where McCain denounced similarly despicable smears against Obama, Romney dodged a question on the story this morning with the pitiful excuse that he hadn't "read the papers yet."

What a leader.

If Romney can't summon the courage to stand up to hateful attacks by super PACs, he isn't fit to lead our country. Send a strong message to Romney and his allies that these shameful tactics won't be tolerated by the voters.

On November 6, I will celebrate a special milestone: my first vote. Let’s help President Obama celebrate one too.

When I was 14, I had the privilege of watching President Obama’s inauguration in person. The energy of the 1.8 million people squeezed on the National Mall was explosive and contagious; passion and elation buzzed through the air and coursed through my veins. President Obama empowered us, replacing our fear with hope. I remember the magic—and I still believe in it.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, a blue city in an even bluer state. When I was young, there was an “I Vote Democrat” bumper sticker slapped on my family’s refrigerator—so I have always identified as a Democrat.

But as I learned more about politics, I confirmed my beliefs as a female Chinese-American student align with those of President Obama and the Democratic Party. I decided to help President Obama win a second term.

As a woman, I support the President. Women have a strong ally in President Obama. He understands that each woman’s body is her own business. President Obama has fought tirelessly to protect women’s freedom to make their own health decisions, having openly defended Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood. Furthermore, President Obama values women and believes they deserve to be paid the same amount as men for the same work. Currently, women earn 77 cents for each dollar made annually by men. To help combat this wage gap, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act nine days after taking office.

As the daughter of Chinese immigrants, I support the President. He understands the suffering that the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has endured throughout America’s history, and he celebrates our community’s contributions to the country. The year he took office, President Obama restored the White House Initiative and President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. He has appointed an unprecedented three AAPIs to his Cabinet, and he has doubled the number of AAPI federal court judges. His actions allow AAPIs across the country to see themselves represented in their government, giving us hope and pride.

As a student, I support the President. Education is an investment in our country’s future, and our President recognizes that. The President is urging Congress to extend a 2007 law that would cut student loan rates to 3.4 percent. If lawmakers don’t pass an extension, those interest rates will double on July 1 and pile an additional $1,000 of debt on students. His investments in programs such as Head Start have given 21,000 AAPI children access to early education. His administration’s Race to the Top program strengthens schools for 27 percent of AAPI students in grades K–12, and his doubling the amount of funding for Pell Grants will make 40,000 additional Pell Grants available to AAPI college students.

Every person’s life is a string of milestones. President Obama makes milestones I’m looking forward to in my life—going to college, getting a job, buying a house—more attainable for all Americans. On November 6, I will celebrate a special milestone: my first vote. Let’s help President Obama celebrate one too.

Catherine Wang worked as a summer intern for the Democratic National Committee. She is from Los Angeles, California, and will attend Yale University this fall.

Romney's proved at each point in his career that he is the last person who should be lecturing us on reckless spending and running up debt.

Mitt Romney delivered his umpteenth "major" economic speech today, and this time, his focus is on spending and debt. But take his rhetoric with a large grain of salt, because Romney's proved at each point in his career—from corporate buyout specialist to failed governor of Massachusetts to perpetual presidential candidate—that he is the last person who should be lecturing us on reckless spending and running up debt.

In his much-touted two decades of private-sector experience, Romney made a fortune out of loading up companies with crippling debt, leading to bankruptcies, shuttered companies, huge job loss—and millions of dollars in profit for Romney and his partners.

Then, when he applied what he learned in the private sector to governing, Romney ended up leaving his successor in Massachusetts with a $1 billion deficit after loading the state's taxpayers up with debt. In his four years as governor, public debt rose by 16 percent, leaving taxpayers with the most per-capita debt in the country. Government jobs grew six times faster than private-sector jobs, state spending went up by 6.5 percent a year, and taxes and fees went up by $750 million a year. It's no wonder Romney never talks about his record as governor.

On the campaign trail today, Romney neglected a very important fact: Our current debt was created largely by Bush-era policies like the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. As Steve Benen at MSNBC's Maddow Blog writes, "Bush not only squandered a massive surplus, added $5 trillion to the debt, and left a $1.3 trillion deficit for Obama to deal with, he also approved policies that we're still struggling to pay for, years after his departure. … For those who care about facts, it's not Obama's agenda that's causing the budget shortfall."

And Romney's plans would only make it worse: He's proposing $5 trillion in tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. He won't specify how he'll pay for such recklessness, but you can be certain that the middle class will foot the bill.

So when it comes to controlling debt, it's clear: Romney has zero credibility.

On the ninth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, we asked Democrats to take a moment to thank some of the 1.5 million men and women who served our country over the past nine years. We received some truly touching responses, many from veterans of past wars who share a special bond with our nation’s newest veterans. Others echoed the sentiments of President Obama when he welcomed troops home at Fort Bragg in December. They promised to honor the sacrifices that these brave men and women made and that so many continue to make in Afghanistan and around the world today.

Susan M. spoke about how thankful her family is for the sacrifices made and she said that her family “will do our best to make sure that you and your fellow servicemen and women are respected and cared for by your country.” She added, “You deserve no less.”

Many remarked at how hard it is to convey thanks when the men and women of our armed forces have given so much. Lee A. thanked the troops for ensuring our freedom and thought that “Words are not enough.”

Others expressed how happy they were that the troops were home from Iraq. Virginia S. wrote “Thank you for all that you have done to keep our country and its citizens safe. Welcome home!”

As we help our newest veterans transition into civilian life, we must make sure that we honor their sacrifices by supporting them every step of the way. While President Obama has done so much to help our veterans, from his recent proposal of a Veterans Job Corps, to his announcement one of the largest increases in funding for veterans’ healthcare in decades, we can show our support in smaller ways. When you see a veteran, don’t be shy in expressing your thanks. As small of a gesture as saying “thank you” is, it helps our courageous men and women know that we care about them and that we appreciate all that they have done and continue to do for our country.

We can't afford a president who doesn't understand that a growing, thriving middle-class is key to a strong economy.

Mitt Romney has staked his candidacy on the experience he gained in the two decades he ran Bain Capital, a financial buyout firm. He wants voters to focus on his time in the private sector as his main qualification for the presidency.

So let's do just that.

In deal after deal for nearly 20 years, Romney and his private-sector partners cared about one thing: making millions for themselves while they loaded companies up with debt, drove them into bankruptcy, and put thousands out of work without pensions or health insurance. That's what Romney economics meant for people like James Sanderson, an employee at GST Steel in Kansas City.

GST Steel was a mill that had been in business since 1888—and was, for generations, a major local employer that lifted workers and families into the middle class. The work was hard, but the wages were fair. GST employees bought homes and sent their kids to college. They considered themselves a tight-knit community and were proud of their work.

All that changed, 103 years into its existence, when Romney and his partners came to town and took over as majority owners. Sanderson describes what happened in stark terms: "We were doing well, and then Bain Capital bought us, and they took everything they could out of the company without making the investments we needed to stay competitive. … They ran the company into bankruptcy."

As a result, 750 Missourians like Sanderson lost their jobs and livelihoods—and with them, the severance pay, health insurance, life insurance, and pensions they had been promised.

But Romney and his partners walked away from the shuttered steel mill with at least $12 million in profit, while hundreds of steelworkers—many of whom had been with the company for decades—were left to pick up the pieces.

GST Steel wasn't an anomaly of Romney's time in the private sector; you'll hear a similar story at former Bain properties nationwide. Romney specialized in buying companies and loading them up with debt—several times using that debt to pay Romney and his partners millions in fees and dividends while they laid off workers and shipped jobs overseas. Those workers who were lucky enough to keep their jobs saw paychecks, benefits, and pensions slashed.

Romney tries to explain away his resume by saying that "in the real world," there are winners and losers. But the truth is, when you bankrupt a company, you don't walk away with millions of dollars for yourself and your investors.

What Romney did in his private-sector years matters today, because Romney believes the experience he gained as a corporate buyout specialist makes him qualified to lead our country. You see it in his policies. Romney's economic agenda as a presidential candidate is no different from the policies he pursued as a CEO: helping the wealthy at the expense of the middle class.

Above all, it's a question of values. We can't afford a president who thinks it's OK to leave workers behind in pursuit of a profit. We can't afford a president who encourages corporations to play by a different set of rules than the rest of us. And we can't afford a president who doesn't understand that a growing, thriving middle-class is key to a strong economy.

We can't afford Romney economics.

Take a look at the brand-new RomneyEconomics.com, and spread the site far and wide.

President Obama has worked tirelessly to make preventive care accessible to all women. The Affordable Care Act is already helping millions of women save money and live healthier lives. Honor this National Women’s Health Week by focusing on your health and well-being. Schedule a check-up or a preventive screening with your doctor. To find out more information on women’s preventative care, visit WomensHealth.gov or GirlsHealth.gov. And click here to read the Presidential proclomation on National Women's Health Week. 

President Obama called on Congress to give every responsible homeowner the opportunity to save thousands of dollars each year by refinancing their homes.

Not long ago, Val and Paul Keller of Reno, Nevada, found themselves underwater.

They were current on their mortgage and made their payments on time, but when the housing crisis hit, the Kellers' home value dropped to less than what they owed on their mortgage. It's a story that hardworking people across the country know all too well. In Nevada, the state hit hardest by the housing crisis, 60 percent of homeowners are currently underwater. But when the Kellers tried to refinance their mortgage, they were denied; banks were reluctant to provide new financing on underwater homes.

But President Obama believes that hardworking, responsible homeowners should be able to take advantage of current low rates and feel secure in their homes. His administration set up a program that would help those with government-backed loans refinance their homes—and thanks to President Obama's actions, the Kellers, who were able to refinance under the new rules, are now saving around $3,000 a year.The President's housing program is making a difference to thousands of American families, and it's giving a boost to our economy.

Today, from the Keller family's driveway, President Obama called on Congress to give every responsible homeowner—not just the ones with government-backed loans—the opportunity to save thousands of dollars each year by refinancing their homes. It's part of his to-do list for Congress: five actions that Congress can and should take before they adjourn for the summer that will keep us moving forward and create jobs.

The contrast with the Republicans' presumptive presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, couldn't be more stark. Romney has no plan to help responsible homeowners who make their mortgage payments on time but who find themselves underwater. Instead, he believes we should let the foreclosure process "run its course and hit the bottom." In fact, foreclosures in Massachusetts quadrupled on Romney's watch.

When he campaigned in Florida, the second-hardest-hit state, Romney had the nerve to tell underwater homeowners that banks are "feeling the same thing they are." And now he wants to help his pals on Wall Street by repealing the reforms that end the abuses in the mortgage system that contributed to the housing crisis.

If you're a responsible homeowner trying to make ends meet, Romney's message is this: You're on your own.

Don't let Romney get the chance to undo what the President has accomplished on housing and prevent further progress. Stand up for the President's housing plan on Twitter using the hashtag #CongressToDoList.

Fighting Medicare fraud has long been a top priority for President Obama. Today the Obama administration released a new infographic that describes how the Affordable Care Act—the health reform law—is helping the administration crack down on Medicare fraud and make Medicare stronger.

Check out the infographic and read more here.

DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz just sent out this email:

Friend --

"I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."

That's what our President said yesterday afternoon, and with it, made history.

Let's show that we're right there with him:

Add your name alongside other Democrats in support of marriage equality today.

The President made clear that he's always stood up for LGBT rights -- whether in fighting to get hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients and their loved ones, or ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

But he said what brought him to support same-sex marriage, more than anything, is his strong belief in equal rights for everyone.

In his own words, "When I meet gay and lesbian couples, when I meet same-sex couples and I see how caring they are, how much love they have in their hearts, how they're taking care of their kids, when I hear from them the pain they feel that somehow they are still considered less than full citizens when it comes to their legal rights, then for me I think it just has tipped the scales in that direction."

Folks, this is what Democrats are all about -- and I'm so proud we have a president who's willing to stand up and say it.

Let's join him. Show your support for marriage equality today:

http://my.democrats.org/Equality

Thanks,

Debbie

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair
Democratic National Committee

video platform video management video solutions video player
Video from ABC News

In an interview with ABC News today, President Obama spoke about the evolution of his personal views on same-sex marriage:

Personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.

Watch the interview clip and share the President’s message with your friends and family.

Romney warned, "If General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won't go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed."

Just three and a half years ago, when the American auto industry was on the very brink of collapse, Mitt Romney had a suggestion: "Let Detroit go bankrupt."

Romney felt so strongly about his idea that he took to the editorial pages of the New York Times, where in plain English he spelled out his opposition to a government rescue package for the Big Three automakers. He argued that Detroit should seek private financing instead, ignoring the fact that credit markets were frozen solid and that even Romney's old firm, Bain Capital, declined to help an industry in crisis. Romney warned, "If General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won't go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed."

Fortunately, our President disagreed, and instead of putting his finger to the political winds, President Obama made the tough, politically unpopular decision to extend a hand to Detroit in its moment of need. It was a decision that saved more than 1 million good-paying jobs in Detroit and across the country. Today, the American auto industry is back on its feet, and it's stronger than ever. Thanks to a tough call from a President who, in his own words, "made a bet on the American worker," Detroit is putting out cars of the future that meet tough new fuel standards, hiring employees, re-opening plants that closed at the height of the crisis, and investing in its American facilities and workers. Just this week, we learned that General Motors is No. 5 on the this year's Fortune 500 list—something that was inconceivable three years ago.

But now that he's been proved so throughly wrong, Romney's trying to rewrite history. He's now making the laughable assertion that he deserves "a lot of the credit." But we know better, and the people who lived through the worst days the American auto industry has ever seen know better—just ask them. Here's what the Detroit Free Press has to say about Romney's gall:

"Is the presumptive GOP nominee delusional? Or is he simply too dishonest to acknowledge that Detroit's survival was assured only after the Obama administration combined the massive injection of federal aid Romney opposed and the managed bankruptcy he favored? …

"Romney won't regain Michigan's trust until he acknowledges the critical role that government played in sustaining the state's auto industry—and abandons the fiction that Detroit's recovery was his idea."

Don't let Romney rewrite history. Spread the word that Romney wanted to "let Detroit go bankrupt"—and doesn't deserve an ounce of credit for a resurgent Detroit by sharing this video.

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement today on the passage of Amendment One in North Carolina:

“The passage of Amendment One in North Carolina is very disappointing. It unfairly singles out gay and lesbian Americans and is discriminatory. I’m proud that President Obama opposed Amendment One, as he has long believed that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and legal protections that straight couples already enjoy.

“While the passage of tonight’s amendment is disappointing, it does not erase the incredible progress that gay and lesbian couples have made under the President’s leadership. From putting an end to the legal defense of the Defense of Marriage Act in the courts and endorsing legislation to repeal it, to making sure that same-sex couples have equal hospital visitation and medical decision-making rights and extending key benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees, we have taken great strides forward.

"The choice is clear. The President has fought on behalf of LGBT Americans while Mitt Romney has supported inequality and discrimination. Romney has said we should write discrimination and inequality into the Constitution, and he has funded efforts in states that have adopted marriage equality to roll back these rights. On this and so many other issues, Romney, like Amendment One, would take us in the wrong direction.”

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement on the results of the Indiana Republican primary:

“It’s official: the Republican Party is now indistinguishable from the Tea Party. Tonight in Indiana, the Tea Party drove Sen. Dick Lugar out of the United States Senate and nominated Tea Party candidate Richard Mourdock, a candidate who will fit in well with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Mourdock opposed the rescue of the iconic American auto industry, calling it ‘illegal.’ Because of President Obama’s decisive action, Chrysler would have been liquidated and thousands of Hoosiers would have lost their jobs – including the 4,500 workers at four Chrysler plants in Kokomo, Indiana.

“Unfortunately for Republicans, they seem to only have room for Tea Party candidates. That might explain why Mitt Romney has embraced so many far-right positions like endorsing a budget that would end Medicare as we know it to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, getting rid of federal funding for Planned Parenthood, and supporting the Blunt-Rubio Amendment and so-called ‘Personhood’ amendments. Mitt Romney called himself ‘the ideal Tea Party candidate,’ and his policies and positions back up the claim.

“The choice in this election could not be more clear. President Obama wants to move the country forward because America prospers when we're all in it together; when hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded; when everyone, from Main Street to Wall Street, does their fair share and plays by the same rules. Mitt Romney, Richard Mourdock and the rest of the Tea Party Republicans are offering an economic scheme that is familiar and troubling: more budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy; fewer rules for Wall Street--the same formula that benefitted a few, but crashed our economy and punished the middle class.”

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement today after Senate Republicans voted to block the Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012, which would prevent federal student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1:

“Today, Senate Republicans had an opportunity to demonstrate that keeping college affordable for middle-class students and their families doesn’t have to be a partisan issue. They had a genuine chance to stand with President Obama and Democrats in Congress who are fighting to stop federal student loan interest rates from doubling from 3.4 to 6.8 percent in less than two months. Instead, on the very day that student loan debt is estimated to hit $1 trillion in this country, Republicans squandered that opportunity. In doing so, the GOP has once again turned its back on more than 7 million students who would pay an average of $1,000 in additional costs over the life of their loan if Congress fails to prevent this rate hike. The clock is ticking, and the time for political games is over.

“President Obama has repeatedly called on Congress to act on this now so that more Americans get a fair shot at the education and skills they need to succeed in the jobs of the future. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney thinks students should ‘shop around’ if they’re concerned about tuition costs – and he privately tells his donors he’d get rid of most of the Department of Education, undercutting vital student aid programs. He also supports a budget plan that locks in the doubling of student loan interest rates and cuts Pell Grants and other education programs that make college more affordable, even though he has said he agrees with the President on preventing interest rates from doubling. This is just the latest instance of Mitt Romney contradicting himself on the issues and making promises that he cannot keep. Republicans’ disregard for the issues facing young people is unacceptable, and it’s further proof that we can’t afford their failed policies and lack of vision.”

The Republican National Committee's Hispanic outreach coordinator said this morning that Mitt Romney is "still deciding" what his position on immigration is.

That's odd—we're quite sure Romney's made his position on immigration crystal clear over the past several months, proving many times over that when it comes to immigration policy, he's the most extreme candidate in memory.

But in case the RNC, or Romney himself, needs a refresher, these are the "severely conservative" positions Romney decided to take on immigration.

When asked if he would veto the DREAM Act, which creates a pathway to citizenship for responsible young people who entered the U.S. through no fault of their own, Romney said, "The answer is yes."

Romney's plan for dealing with undocumented workers is an inhumane "self-deportation" policy—what the New York Times describes as the "delusion" that "people can be made miserable enough to leave on their own.”

Romney endorsed Arizona's controversial SB 1070, a law that allows random document checks and detainment. He went so far as to call it "a model" for enforcing immigration laws.

The company Romney keeps is telling. Just look at where his advisers, endorsers, and supporters stand on immigration. One of Romney's campaign advisers is Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who helped draft the anti-immigrant laws in Arizona and Alabama. Another author of the Arizona law, Russell Pearce, counts himself as a Romney supporter. And Romney has received endorsements from Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who signed SB 1070 into law, and former California Gov. Pete Wilson, who is known as a "monster" in the Latino community.

Check out our May Small Business Owners Council Newsletter. In this edition you can read about 26 months of private sector job growth and a Phoenix small business owner helped by President Obama’s policies. You can also learn about how the Affordable Care Act is helping women-owned small businesses and about how small businesses in Charlotte, NC are preparing for the Convention. Click here to read more.

The Social Security Administration and the Department of Defense (DoD) are working together to improve access to disability benefits for the nation’s Wounded Warriors, service members, veterans and their dependents. A new nationwide project enables Social Security disability case processing sites to receive military medical records from multiple DoD facilities with a single request to a centralized DoD site. As of today, this initiative is in its first phase of nationwide expansion. Read more here.